Portable home

ABSTRACT

A portable home assembly can include a wall panel including mass plywood, a floor panel including mass plywood, and a roof including metal. The wall panel, the floor panel, and the roof can be configured to be manufactured as separate pieces, shipped in a single standard shipping container, and assembled together to form a complete home. A method of shipping a portable home assembly can include providing a portable home assembly having separable components, positioning all of the separable components into a single standard shipping container, and transporting the separate components in the single standard shipping container to a place of assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.63/321,581, titled “Portable Home,” filed on 18 Mar. 2022, whichapplication is incorporated herein by reference for all that itcontains.

FIELD

The described embodiments relate generally to architectural buildings.More particularly, the present embodiments relate to portable andsustainable homes.

BACKGROUND

Recent increases in cost of living expenses in urban areas are due inpart to rising housing costs. Real estate values are increasing, and inresponse, more housing units are being built. However, construction isslow and expensive. Transportation of building materials is difficultand time consuming, particularly stick framed housing. In addition, thenumber of experienced laborers able to perform quality construction isdecreasing. Energy costs are also rising, shifting public focus towardenvironmental issues. In light of this, consumers want sustainablehousing solutions. Fast, economical, efficient, and compact housing isdesired to meet consumer needs.

SUMMARY

In at least one example of the present disclosure, a home assemblyincludes a wall panel including mass plywood, a floor panel includingmass plywood, and a roof. In one example, the home assembly isconfigured to be manufactured in separate pieces, the entire homeassembly is shipped in two or less single standard shipping containers,and the home assembly is configured to be assembled together to form acomplete home.

In some examples, the home assembly further includes a plurality of wallpanels, a plurality of doors, a window, a roof, cabinets, electricalcomponents, plumbing components, HVAC components, insulation, railing,finish work, countertops, bathroom fixtures, and kitchen fixtures. Insome examples, the roof is a metal roof.

In some examples, the home assembly can include an electrical accessthrough-hole defined by one of the plurality of wall panels, and aplumbing through-hole defined by one of the plurality of wall panels.The home assembly can further include the electrical components and theplumbing components assembled on an exterior surface of the wall panels.Additionally, the insulation can be attached to the exterior surface ofthe wall panels. In some examples, the home assembly further includesdrywall attached over the insulation.

In some additional examples, the entire home assembly is shipped in asingle standard shipping container. In some examples, the wall panel is4 inches thick. The home assembly can further include fasteners forjoining the home assembly to form a complete home. The assembly can befree of a foundation.

In one embodiment, a packaged complete home assembly includes aplurality of wall panels including mass plywood, a plurality of floorpanels including mass plywood, a metal roof, a plurality of doors,windows, cabinets, electrical components, plumbing components, HVACcomponents, insulation, finish work, countertops, bathroom fixtures, andkitchen fixtures. In some examples, the home assembly is configured tobe manufactured in separate pieces. In some examples, the entire homeassembly is nested and packaged in two or less single standard shippingcontainers, and the home assembly is configured to be assembled togetherto form a complete home.

In some examples, the packaged complete home assembly further includesan electrical access through-hole defined by one of the plurality ofwall panels, and a plumbing through-hole defined by one of the pluralityof wall panels. In some examples, the electrical components and theplumbing components are assembled on an exterior surface of the wallpanels. Additionally, the packaged complete home assembly can furtherinclude insulation attached to the exterior surface of the wall panels.In yet other examples, the packaged complete home assembly can furtherinclude drywall attached over the insulation.

In some examples of the packaged complete home assembly, the entire homeassembly is shipped in a single standard shipping container. In someexamples, each of the plurality of wall panels is 4 inches thick. Thepackaged complete home assembly can include fasteners for joining thehome assembly to form a complete home.

In some examples, a method of shipping a complete home assembly caninclude providing a complete home assembly having separate components,positioning all of the separate components in no more than two standardshipping containers, and transporting the separate components in the nomore than two standard shipping containers to a place of assembly.

In some examples, no more than two standard shipping containers includesa single standard shipping container, and further including assemblingthe complete home assembly on a foundation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example of a portable homeassembly;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of an example of a shipping container used totransport a portable home assembly;

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of an example of a portable home assembly;

FIG. 4 shows a portion of an example of a portable home assembly;

FIG. 5 shows an example of a wall panel;

FIG. 6 shows a side view of a ceiling panel secured to a wall panel; and

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a massplywood panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present description provides examples, and is not limiting of thescope, applicability, or configuration set forth in the claims. Thus, itwill be understood that changes can be made in the function andarrangement of elements discussed without departing from the spirit andscope of the disclosure, and various embodiments can omit, substitute,or add other procedures or components as appropriate. For instance,methods described can be performed in an order different from thatdescribed, and various steps can be added, omitted, or combined. Also,features described with respect to some embodiments can be combined inother embodiments.

Reference will now be made in detail to representative examplesillustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood thatthe following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments toone preferred example or embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended tocover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be includedwithin the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined bythe appended claims.

The following disclosure generally relates to architectural buildings.More particularly, the present disclosure relates to portable homeassemblies. The portable home assemblies described herein can includeseparate components, including wall panels, roof components, andinterior features, which can be separately manufactured using energyefficient materials and processes and positioned all together within asingle, standard shipping container for transport to an assembly site.At the assembly site, the separate components of the portable homeassemblies can be assembled and secured together to form a completehome. A residential home is one example of a building that can bemanufactured and shipped as described herein, but is not meant aslimiting. As used herein, the phrase “complete home” shall be understoodas meaning a habitable home complying with municipal construction andhabitation regulations. Other architectural structures and building canlikewise be portably manufactured, shipped, and assembled, includingoffice spaces, restrooms, and other shelters or buildings.

The separate components of the portable home assemblies described hereincan be manufactured using sustainable processes and materials such thatthe portable home assemblies are energy efficient and economical. Inaddition, the shipment of the portable home assemblies described hereincan result in economical, efficient, and compact housing to meetconsumer needs.

Specific examples and embodiments of portable or pre-manufactured homesand buildings, are discussed below with reference to FIGS. 1-7 .However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that thedetailed description given herein with respect to these Figures is forexplanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.Furthermore, as used herein, a system, a method, an article, acomponent, a feature, or a sub-feature comprising at least one of afirst option, a second option, or a third option should be understood asreferring to a system, a method, an article, a component, a feature, ora sub-feature that can include one of each listed option (e.g., only oneof the first option, only one of the second option, or only one of thethird option), multiple of a single listed option (e.g., two or more ofthe first option), two options simultaneously (e.g., one of the firstoption and one of the second option), or combination thereof (e.g., twoof the first option and one of the second option).

FIG. 1 shows an example of a home 100. The home 100 can be a net zeroenergy home, producing energy equal to or greater than the amount ofenergy the home 100 consumes. In addition, the home 100 can be arenewable home including renewable mass ply panels, recycled content,and reclaimed metals. In some examples, the home 100 can includemultiple floors, including a ground floor and a second floor above theground floor, to create a comfortable living space while maintaining asmall physical footprint. The small footprint of the home 100 allows formore homes to be built per unit area, increasing profits for developersand decreasing cost for consumers.

The illustrated example of the home 100 shown in FIG. 1 is exemplaryonly and not meant to be limiting. Other examples of similar homes,according to the present disclosure, can include various sizes,footprints, floors/levels, and architectural layouts and features. Insome examples, the home 100 can include only a single, ground level. Inother examples, the home 100 can include three or more levels. In someembodiments, the home 100 can include rooms with plumbing, such as akitchen or bathroom. The home 100 can include electrical components suchas outlets, breaker boxes, and electrical wiring. The home can beconfigured to receive a variety of voltages, such as 110 Volt power or220 Volt power, from various sources. According to one example, the mainpower input to the house is pre-determined and formed in the panelsprior to assembly. In some examples, the main access to plumbing andelectrical is provided through the panels, but the electrical andplumbing feed lines can be run on the exterior or interior of thepanels, rather than through the center of the panels, thereby adding tothe integrity and insulative properties of the panels. Additionally, insome examples, the insulation can be formed on the exterior of thestructural panels. In other examples, the outlet, switch, and fixtureholes are pre formed in the panels, as are the conduits for pullingelectrical wire to distribute the power. According to this embodiment,the pre-formed holes further add to construction efficiency and costcertainty and savings. Power sources for the home 100 can include, butare not limited to a municipal power grid, solar panels, wind turbines,electrical generators, or other sources of electricity. The componentsof the home 100, including the panels noted above, can be removablysecured together and taken apart such that the entire home 100 can bearranged in a compact configuration for shipping. The separablecomponents of the home 100 can be positioned in a single, standardshipping container for transportation to an assembly site. In someexamples, the separable components of the home 100 can be positioned intwo standard shipping container for transportation to an assembly site.As used herein, the phrase standard shipping container shall beinterpreted to refer to an ISO compliant shipping container. Accordingto one exemplary embodiment, the ISO general shipping container isapproximately 8.5 ft. high and 8 ft. wide. The length of the standardshipping container can vary from 20 ft., to 40 ft., or more. Additionalshipping container sizes may be used to store and ship entire homepackages, as detailed below.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a standard shipping container 201 into whichall components of a complete home can fit. According to one example, allcomponents of a complete home include, but is not limited to, panels,doors, windows, roof, cabinets, electrical components, plumbingcomponents, flooring components, dry-wall, HVAC components, insulation,railing, finish work, countertops, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, andthe like. The container 201 can be transported using a plurality ofmethods including by ground transport as shown. Other forms oftransportation can include shipping by plane, ocean liner, orhelicopter. The use of only one (or two) shipping container(s) 201 forcarrying and shipping the home 100 shown in FIG. 1 can decrease shippingexpenses and simplify the shipping process. For example, shipping thehome 100 in a single—or two—shipping container(s) 201 can decreaseshipping time compared to shipping a home using multiple containers orin delivering components separately. Shipping the home 100 in a singlecontainer 201 also removes the need for wide loads often used fortransporting pre-fabricated homes, which are slower than standardshipping containers and carry more risk. Moreover, shipping the entirehome 100 in the single shipping container 201 ensures that the entirehome is present upon arrival, eliminating the need to wait for thedelivery of additional building supplies, which often results in delayand frustration.

Increasing the mobility of the home 100 via the single shippingcontainer 201 increases the potential locations at which the home 100can be fabricated and manufactured. For example, because the home 100can be shipped easily and conveniently, the distance between the placeof manufacture and the place of assembly does not increase the cost ofshipping compared with the more expensive shipment of pre-fabricatedhomes. In this way, the home 100 can be built in a wider variety oflocations than other pre-fabricated homes. The compact size of theshipping container can also allow transportation vehicles reach moreremote, steep, or terrain otherwise inaccessible to traditional shippingmethods.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of an example of a home 300, includingseparable components that can be disassembled to fit in the singleshipping container 201 shown in FIG. 2 and assembled to form the home100 shown in FIG. 1 . In some examples, all materials and components canbe removed and the home 100 can be assembled at the delivery site whenthe shipping container 201 arrives. According to one example, thematerials and components can be removed from the container(s) andassembled on a pre-formed foundation using provided fasteners. The useof pre-fabricated building materials removes the need for workersskilled in construction methods such as framing, dry wall, plastering,finish work, and so forth. There is also no waste from cutting materialson-site as seen in stick-built construction. Faster construction is alsofacilitated by receiving all components at once. This reduction in wasteresults in cleaner, more efficient construction. The lack of on-sitefabrication also decreases the need for larger machinery, which can alsodecrease noise pollution in populated areas or wildlife habitats.

In at least one example, as shown in FIG. 3 , the home 300 can include aroof 302. The roof 302 can be formed of one or more metal materials. Themetal materials can be durable and lightweight. In one example, themetal material and construction of the roof 302 can be configured tolast at least 50 years before needing to be replaced. In other examples,the lifespan of the roof can be configured to be longer or shorter than50 years. In other examples, the roof 302 can be built of otherappropriate materials such as mass plywood materials covered by a metalroof or a typical shingle style. In yet other examples, the roof 302 canbe built out of other materials not specified herein. The home 300 canalso include various outer walls 304, including opposing sidewalls and arear wall and/or from wall or frame 306. The walls 304 can be formedusing mass plywood materials, including pre-fabricated panels formedfrom renewable wood fiber. In some examples, the front frame 306 caninclude window frames 308 to accommodate energy efficient windows totransmit light into the home 300.

The home 300 can also include various inner walls 310 separating spaceswithin the home 300 and defining separate rooms therein, including thekitchen 301 and the bathroom 303. In at least one example, the variousinner walls 310 can be formed using mass plywood materials, includingpre-fabricated panels formed from renewable wood fiber. In someexamples, some of the inner walls 310 can be load-bearing walls, and insome examples, some of the inner walls 310 are not load-bearing walls.In at least one example, the home 300 can include a separate floor panel312 formed using mass plywood materials, including pre-fabricated panelsof renewable wood fiber as well.

In addition to the various panels and walls forming the home 300 shownin FIG. 3 , some examples of homes described herein can also includeinternal space-saving and energy-saving features, including compact andefficient storage systems 316 and low energy heating and cooling systems314. The heating and cooling systems of the home 300 can includeductless systems, as shown, which do not require time consuming andexpensive duct installation and duct space within the walls of the home300. To accomplish this, the pre-fabricated components contained in theshipping container 201 can include channels. These channels can be usedas air ducts to direct heating or cooling into one or more rooms withinthe home 300.

FIG. 4 shows a partially assembled section of a second floor 400 of ahome, which can be incorporated into the various examples of homesdescribed herein. As shown in FIG. 4 , the second floor 400 can includea bathroom 401, similar to the bathroom 303 shown in FIG. 3 positioneddirectly above the kitchen 301. The vertically stacked position of thebathroom 401 (303 in FIG. 3 ) relative to the kitchen 301 can enablecentralized utilities to be routed central to the home 300. In at leastone example, all mechanical, plumbing, and electrical (MEP) componentscan be attached to the exterior of mass ply panels (MPP). Shorterdistances between utilities and a lack of internal channels in MPP canresult in efficient use of materials and faster construction. Forexample, the stacked position of the bathroom 401 relative to thekitchen 303 reduces the distance between the bathroom 401 and thekitchen 303. This can facilitate more efficient use MEP components andother components such as those needed for plumbing. MEP and piping canbe expensive, and decreasing the amount used can both decrease the costof the materials as well as lessen the impact of manufacturing on theenvironment.

FIG. 5 shows a wall assembly 500 containing mass ply panel (MPP). In atleast one example, the MPP of the wall assembly 500 can be about4-inches thick. MPP can be utilized for both its structural rigidity andinsulation properties. In some examples, the thickness can be varied tofit a myriad of strength or insulation requirements. In at least oneexample, the MPP of the wall assembly 500 can have a shear strength ofapproximately 2925 lbf/ft in the major strength direction and an R-valueof about 21. As used herein, the R-value refers to the capacity of amaterial to resist the flow of heat. MPP is a solid laminate made fromrenewable materials, differing from conventional structural insulatedpanels made of insulation between two panels. The use of a solidlaminate decreases production time and simplifies the manufacturingprocess. Larger and more complex shapes such as walls with windows canbe manufactured more efficiently since assembly of the insulated panelis not required on-site. This allows an entire wall panel, such as thewall panels 304 and internal walls 310 shown in FIG. 3 , to bemanufactured as one piece, thus decreasing waste during production.Single piece wall panels also remove the need for many panels to befastened together on-site to create the wall, further makingconstruction more efficient. Increased efficiency in manufacturing andconstruction can consequently result in economic benefits for both thedeveloper and consumer, as well as. Increased efficiency inmanufacturing and construction can also provide environmental benefitsthrough the decrease in materials used, energy required to produce suchmaterials, and chemical processes used to treat building materials.

FIG. 6 shows the fastening method of two MPPs, including a wall panel616 and a kitchen ceiling panel 618. In at least one example, the wallpanel 616 can be mounted to the ceiling panel 618 using a ⅝″ diameterthreaded rod 601 with 3×3 PL washer bearing and a custom L bracket. Insome examples, a threaded rod fastener can add shear strength to thejoint and can therefore be used in place of less desirable fastenerssuch as nails. In other examples, a combination of screws and nails witha total capacity of about 3,333 lb. can be used to fasten the MPP wallsections to each other. Angle brackets using M20 anchors and LBA nailscan be used to fasten wall panels to floor panels on the first level.Additional components, including drywall components 620 and tilecomponents 622 can also be secured to the wall panel 616 and/or theceiling panel 618.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart showing an example of a method 700 ofmanufacturing the MPPs described herein. The MPP can be received at step724 of the method 700. At step 726 of the method 700, the MPP can befixed in place and cut to size. In at least one example, a jig can beused to make cutouts of desired shapes. The use of a jig can allowworkers not skilled in construction methods to easily produce panelsthat conform to design tolerances. The use of a jig can also allowworkers not skilled in construction methods to produce large numbers ofpanels efficiently. These cutouts can be for windows, doors, or otherfeatures. At step 728 of the method 700, the MPP can be packaged andloaded into a standard shipping container, such as the shippingcontainer 201 shown in FIG. 2 .

Each of the embodiments described in the detailed description above mayinclude any of the features, options, and possibilities set out in thepresent disclosure, including those under the other independentembodiments, and may also include any combination of any of thefeatures, options, and possibilities set out in the present disclosureand figures.

The articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there areone or more of the elements in the preceding descriptions. The terms“comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive andmean that there may be additional elements other than the listedelements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “oneexample” or “an example” of the present disclosure are not intended tobe interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments thatalso incorporate the recited features. Numbers, percentages, ratios, orother values stated herein are intended to include that value, and alsoother values that are “about” or “approximately” the stated value, aswould be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art encompassed byembodiments of the present disclosure. A stated value should thereforebe interpreted broadly enough to encompass values that are at leastclose enough to the stated value to perform a desired function orachieve a desired result. The stated values include at least thevariation to be expected in a suitable manufacturing or productionprocess, and may include values that are within 5%, within 1%, within0.1%, or within 0.01% of a stated value.

A person having ordinary skill in the art should realize in view of thepresent disclosure that equivalent constructions do not depart from thespirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes,substitutions, and alterations may be made to embodiments disclosedherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure. Equivalent constructions, including functional“means-plus-function” clauses are intended to cover the structuresdescribed herein as performing the recited function, including bothstructural equivalents that operate in the same manner, and equivalentstructures that provide the same function. It is the express intentionof the applicant not to invoke means-plus-function or other functionalclaiming for any claim except for those in which the words ‘means for’appear together with an associated function. Each addition, deletion,and modification to the embodiments that falls within the meaning andscope of the claims is to be embraced by the claims.

The terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” as used hereinrepresent an amount close to the stated amount that still performs adesired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms“approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” may refer to an amountthat is within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of a stated amount. Further, itshould be understood that any directions or reference frames in thepreceding description are merely relative directions or movements. Forexample, any references to “up” and “down” or “above” or “below” aremerely descriptive of the relative position or movement of the relatedelements.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the describedembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe specific details are not required in order to practice the describedembodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specificembodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustrationand description. They are not target to be exhaustive or to limit theembodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to oneof ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations arepossible in view of the above teachings.

What is claimed is:
 1. A home assembly, comprising: a wall panelcomprising mass plywood; a floor panel comprising mass plywood; and aroof; wherein: the home assembly is configured to be manufactured inseparate pieces; the entire home assembly is shipped in two or lesssingle standard shipping containers; and the home assembly is configuredto be assembled together to form a complete home.
 2. The home assemblyof claim 1, wherein the home assembly further comprises a plurality ofwall panels, a plurality of doors, a window, a roof, cabinets,electrical components, plumbing components, HVAC components, insulation,railing, finish work, countertops, bathroom fixtures, and kitchenfixtures.
 3. The home assembly of claim 1, wherein the roof comprisesmetal.
 4. The home assembly of claim 2, further comprising: anelectrical access through-hole defined by one of the plurality of wallpanels; and a plumbing through-hole defined by one of the plurality ofwall panels.
 5. The home assembly of claim 4, wherein the electricalcomponents and the plumbing components are assembled on an exteriorsurface of the wall panels.
 6. The home assembly of claim 5, wherein theinsulation is attached to the exterior surface of the wall panels. 7.The home assembly of claim 6, further comprising drywall attached overthe insulation.
 8. The home assembly of claim 2, wherein the entire homeassembly is shipped in a single standard shipping container.
 9. The homeassembly of claim 1, wherein the wall panel is 4 inches thick.
 10. Thehome assembly of claim 2, further comprising fasteners for joining thehome assembly to form a complete home.
 11. The home assembly of claim10, wherein the assembly is free of a foundation.
 12. A packagedcomplete home assembly, comprising: a plurality of wall panelscomprising mass plywood; a plurality of floor panels comprising massplywood; a metal roof; a plurality of doors, windows, cabinets,electrical components, plumbing components, HVAC components, insulation,finish work, countertops, bathroom fixtures, and kitchen fixtureswherein: the home assembly is configured to be manufactured in separatepieces; the entire home assembly is nested and packaged in two or lesssingle standard shipping containers; and the home assembly is configuredto be assembled together to form a complete home.
 13. The packagedcomplete home assembly of claim 12, further comprising: an electricalaccess through-hole defined by one of the plurality of wall panels; anda plumbing through-hole defined by one of the plurality of wall panels;wherein the electrical components and the plumbing components areassembled on an exterior surface of the wall panels.
 14. The packagedcomplete home assembly of claim 13, further comprising insulationattached to the exterior surface of the wall panels.
 15. The packagedcomplete home assembly of claim 14, further comprising drywall attachedover the insulation.
 16. The packaged complete home assembly of claim12, wherein the entire home assembly is shipped in a single standardshipping container.
 17. The packaged complete home assembly of claim 12,wherein each of the plurality of wall panels is 4 inches thick.
 18. Thepackaged complete home assembly of claim 12, further comprisingfasteners for joining the home assembly to form a complete home.
 19. Amethod of shipping a complete home assembly, comprising: providing acomplete home assembly having separate components; positioning all ofthe separate components in no more than two standard shippingcontainers; and transporting the separate components in the no more thantwo standard shipping containers to a place of assembly.
 20. The methodof claim 19, wherein the no more than two standard shipping containerscomprises a single standard shipping container; and further comprisingassembling the complete home assembly on a foundation.